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Portrait ofSihle Bulose

Sihle Bulose

Partner

CMS RM Partners
82 Maude Street
3rd Floor
Sandton
2196 Sandton
Johannesburg
South Africa
Languages English, Zulu
Corporate/M&A

Sihle is a corporate lawyer at CMS South Africa who advises listed and unlisted clients on mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructurings and general commercial matters. 

He also assists clients with legal due diligence investigations. He regularly helps multinational firms establish a presence in South Africa and the rest of the African continent.

Sihle has worked with South African and multinational clients in various sectors including financial services, real estate, infrastructure development, telecommunications, mining, energy, consumer goods and the public sector.

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They have outstanding industry knowledge and experience, and a practical understanding of the law. They always come back quickly and are available when needed! They make my business their business which brings comfort.

Legal 500 | Corporate & Commercial, South Africa, 2023

The individuals at CMS have been around the block and know what to ask and look for. They make themselves available and respond to queries urgently. They know my business intimately.

Legal 500 | Corporate & Commercial, South Africa, 2023

The team is instrumental in commercial negotiations. It is a very value-adding team to work with.

Chambers & Partners, South Africa, 2024

CMS RM Partners is by far one of our preferred legal advisers. The lawyers are highly responsive and very strong on the commercial side.

Chambers & Partners, South Africa, 2024

The team is very commercially aware, able to understand our business and our challenges and advises us accordingly on a number of transactions.

Chambers & Partners, South Africa, 2024

They kept us well informed and were always on time with our deadlines.

Chambers & Partners, South Africa, 2024

The lawyers have a very good grasp of technical matters.

Chambers & Partners, South Africa, 2024

Relevant experience

  • African Parks Network - assisted as the lead legal advisors with a last-minute ‘lifeline’ in a major purchase and rhino rewilding project for 2,000 African rhinos. 
  • A consortium led by EQT Partners AB and the Luxinva - on the USD10 billion acquisition of Nestle’s skincare business.
  • A US hedge fund - on the acquisition of sports betting interests in South Africa and Kenya.
  • LondonMetric Property - on the South African aspects of its GPB100 million private placement on the London Stock Exchange.
  • Aveng Africa - on the disposal of their ZAR1.2 billion industrial property portfolio to the Collins Group.
  • A large South African bank - on the disposal on insurance assets in Kenya and Mozambique.
  • Exxaro - on its USD472 million acquisition of Total’s South African coal assets.
  • New GX - in connection with the proposed disposal of Dartcom to Invicta.
  • BAE Systems - on its ZAR855 million disposal of BAE Systems Land Systems South Africa to Denel SOC Limited.
  • BEE shareholders of Capitec Bank - on the restructure of Capitec’s empowerment consortium.
  • Old Mutual and the South Africa Infrastructure Fund - on the disposal of their investments in three privately-concessioned toll roads in South Africa, Botswana and Mozambique.
  • Harith General Partners and the Public Investment Corporation - on the acquisition of the Lanseria International Airport.
  • The Industrial Development Corporation - on its investment in Kgalagadi Manganese.
  • Old Mutual Alternative Investments - on the restructure of their South African renewable energy portfolio.
  • Unicorn Capital Partners - in connection with its de-listing from the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.
  • Eaton - on its USD3.3 billion disposal of its hydraulics business to Danfoss.
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Memberships & Roles

  • Member of the Legal Practice Council of South Africa
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Education

  • 2020 – MBA, Gordon Institute of Business Science, University of Pretoria, South Africa
  • 2019 – PGDIP (Business Administration and Management), Gordon Institute of Business Science, University of Pretoria, South Africa
  • 2012 – LL.B. (cum laude), University of Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa
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Private Equity

Sihle is a lawyer and member of the private equity practice area at CMS South Africa. 

Sihle has experience in upstream and downstream work, as he assists clients on fund structuring, and acquisition and disposal of assets by funds.

He has also worked with infrastructure funds with interests in various parts of the African continent. Sihle has a keen interest in Section 12J Funds and empowerment funds. Sihle also works closely with private equity funds and fund managers who have formed advisory and structuring joint ventures with CMS South Africa, to pursue special opportunities in the fund management space.

Sihle is a director of Frontier Impact Management (fund manager) and is a member of the Investment Committee for the Afrika Tikkun Private Equity Fund.

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They have outstanding industry knowledge and experience, and a practical understanding of the law. They always come back quickly and are available when needed! They make my business their business which brings comfort.

Legal 500 | Corporate & Commercial, South Africa, 2023

The individuals at CMS have been around the block and know what to ask and look for. They make themselves available and respond to queries urgently. They know my business intimately.

Legal 500 | Corporate & Commercial, South Africa, 2023

The team is instrumental in commercial negotiations. It is a very value-adding team to work with.

Chambers & Partners, South Africa, 2024

CMS RM Partners is by far one of our preferred legal advisers. The lawyers are highly responsive and very strong on the commercial side.

Chambers & Partners, South Africa, 2024

The team is very commercially aware, able to understand our business and our challenges and advises us accordingly on a number of transactions.

Chambers & Partners, South Africa, 2024

They kept us well informed and were always on time with our deadlines.

Chambers & Partners, South Africa, 2024

The lawyers have a very good grasp of technical matters.

Chambers & Partners, South Africa, 2024

Relevant experience

  • Actis - on the formation of a sub-Saharan Africa industrial property joint venture with the Improvon Group.
  • A US hedge fund - on the acquisition of sports betting interests in South Africa and Kenya.
  • Old Mutual and the South Africa Infrastructure Fund - on the disposal of their investments in three privately-concessioned toll roads in South Africa, Botswana and Mozambique.
  • Athena - on the establisment of a private equity fund with a focus on technology assets.
  • Actis - on a USD65 million acquisition of a minority stake in Tekkie Town.
  • A South African development finance institution - in connection with the establishment of a renewable energy fund.
  • The Carlyle Group - on the acquisition of an interest in Global Credit Ratings, a credit ratings business operating throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. 
  • Ethos - on the disposal of Universal Industries, a food services business with operations in South Africa, Namibia, Nigeria, Botswana and Zimbabwe.
  • Phoenix Capital - on the establishment of a section 12 Fund.
  • Ethos - on the disposal of Kevro Holdings, a merchandising business operating in South Africa, Mozambique, Namibia and Zambia.
  • The Carlyle Group - on an investment into J&J Africa, a logistics company with interests across Southern Africa.
  • Various investors - in relation to the establishment and the restructure of the Swakhula Empowerment Fund.
  • Kagiso Tiso Holdings, Investec, Old Mutual and MMI - on the restructure of the Kagiso Infrastructure Empowerment Fund.
     
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Memberships & Roles

  • Member of the Legal Practice Council of South Africa
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Education

  • 2020 – MBA, Gordon Institute of Business Science, University of Pretoria, South Africa
  • 2019 – PGDIP (Business Administration and Management), Gordon Institute of Business Science, University of Pretoria, South Africa
  • 2012 – LL.B. (cum laude), University of Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa
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TMC - Technology, Media & Communications

Sihle is a corporate and commercial lawyer with a specialised focus on telecommunication, media and communications.

Sihle has experience advising on mergers & acquisitions, and restructures in telecommunications infrastructure, digital communications and media. Sihle has also worked with on empowerment transactions in the telecommunications space and advises on telecommunications leasing and supply arrangements. 

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They have outstanding industry knowledge and experience, and a practical understanding of the law. They always come back quickly and are available when needed! They make my business their business which brings comfort.

Legal 500 | Corporate & Commercial, South Africa, 2023

The individuals at CMS have been around the block and know what to ask and look for. They make themselves available and respond to queries urgently. They know my business intimately.

Legal 500 | Corporate & Commercial, South Africa, 2023

The team is instrumental in commercial negotiations. It is a very value-adding team to work with.

Chambers & Partners, South Africa, 2024

CMS RM Partners is by far one of our preferred legal advisers. The lawyers are highly responsive and very strong on the commercial side.

Chambers & Partners, South Africa, 2024

The team is very commercially aware, able to understand our business and our challenges and advises us accordingly on a number of transactions.

Chambers & Partners, South Africa, 2024

They kept us well informed and were always on time with our deadlines.

Chambers & Partners, South Africa, 2024

The lawyers have a very good grasp of technical matters.

Chambers & Partners, South Africa, 2024

Relevant experience

  • Telkom - on the proposed listing of its telecommunications tower business, Swiftnet.
  • A leading provider of satellite communication services - on its potential entry into the South African market.
  • Community Investment Ventures Holdings - in relation to a proposed broad-based economic empowerment transaction.
  • Cell C - in connection with the disposal of tower assets to Atlas Tower Company.
  • A mobile network operator - in connection with the procurement of security and identification software solutions in connection with its prepaid and post-paid subscriber base.
  • Community Investment Ventures Holdings - in connection with its acquisition of an interest in Herotel. 
  • A global technology conglomerate - on the requirements for the provisions of fixed, mobile and wireless communications in South Africa.
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Memberships & Roles

  • Legal Practice Council, Gauteng office
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Education

  • 2020 – MBA, Gordon Institute of Business Science, University of Pretoria, South Africa
  • 2019 – PGDIP (Business Administration and Management), Gordon Institute of Business Science, University of Pretoria, South Africa
  • 2012 – LL.B. (cum laude), University of Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa
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